Parking restrictions in effect at Convocation Center during high school basketball tournaments

Feb 24, 2014From staff reports

Ohio University Police Chief Andrew Powers sent the following message to the Athens Campus community on Monday, Feb. 24 regarding parking at the Convocation Center during an upcoming high school basketball tournament.

Dear Athens Campus Community,

As you may have previously read in Compass, this past fall the Ohio University Police Department (OUPD) began restricting parking under the Convocation Center during major events. These restrictions were imposed to better align Ohio University with the Department of Homeland Security’s guidance to local police for managing public events expected to draw a crowd. Although no specific information suggests Ohio University is a target for terrorist activity, the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon reminded all of us in law enforcement that we must renew our vigilance and ensure we are taking appropriate and reasonable measures to protect the safety of our communities.

I am writing today to remind you of this new process, and to make sure you are aware that these measures will be utilized during the upcoming series of high school basketball tournament games to be played at the Convocation Center from Feb. 28 through March 15. OHIO Transportation and Parking Services will post and tweet lot closure times for each day; some of these may be as early as 5 p.m. on weekdays, depending on game times. All vehicles must be removed from lot 129 under the Convocation Center by the closure time, or they will be towed. No vehicles will be permitted to park under the Convocation Center during these games.

If you use lot 129 for parking, please be sure to read the lot closure signs each day and follow @ohiouparking on Twitter in order to avoid having your car towed. While I recognize that these restrictions create an inconvenience, I appreciate your understanding of the need for them. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call OUPD at 593-1911.